What is story writing — for me?

Story writing is the discovery of a place never been before.

Preparing the house for guests is part of the fun.

The other is their arrival when the story is done.

To be there is to see their faces when we open the door.

Stage 1: Get The Story Out

I’ve learned not to stop. I believe stories already exist in the ether of fiction space. When I glimpse the thread of a story, I grab at it quickly or the line may be lost. I try not to wait. I take some notes right away, even if I have to do it in the dark, pen in hand, on a page I can’t see. At first, I may only see the title, a few lines or the ending paragraph. I write that down. When I return to discover the rest of the story, I start writing, I try to push through (it may be a couple of days), and I try not to back-write too much at this stage. This is the first draft, getting the story out, getting it down on paper, so the outline can be seen.

Stage 2: Get The Words Out

Now, I prune, pummel and polish my first rough draft. I use words to wrap form and color around the ghost-like story shape. I want to capture it, as it seems to want to move away. I believe a story cannot be lost — once I make those first saving notes. After that, I don’t worry about the story (it will exist), but I may lose my way and never return. At the end of this stage, the second draft gives substance and character to the emerging shape and allows my reviewers something to work with, in the next stage.

Stage 3: Put The Mat Out

Third, put out the mat. Let someone see that rough draft, that unfinished work. A story will not be done until it is reviewed and critiqued. At this stage, “copy” and “content” are my by-words. I have two people who work the copy over — the word choices, the grammar, the punctuation, the flow, the understandability. If I hear “I don’t understand this,” I know I’m on the right track. The story is there. I just have to find the right words. Those same two people slam the content. “They didn’t have this then.” “He wouldn’t talk like that.” “If you say that, your reader will know you know nothing about what you’re talking about and will quit reading.” This is called “No Pride of Authorship.” I get over it. It’s not my story. I’m just the writer. It’s not humility, it’s reality. I have to get it right with the world of words, or the world of readers will never get right with the story.

Stage 4: Walk Out And Look In

This stage is for me to walk outside and look back in. I open the door, step outside, turn around and look at the story from a distance. I ask myself, “Will the reader see the story?” If I, now the objective self-critical writer, can’t see the story that I saw, the reader won’t see anything. This is the third-party objectivity that I, as the writer, bring to the story. In the last stage, the reviewers of the story brought their objectivity to the written words. They didn’t find the story, so they cannot critique the integrity of the story. They can only critique the words, the copy and content, as they see them. Only the writer can critique the alignment of the words with the story itself, because only the writer sees the story without the words, as it exists in the realm of untouched fiction. I ask myself, “Will the story rise through the words?” I lose the most sleep over this stage, because the show is on this stage. Does the story shine out and will it pull the reader in?

Stage 5: Invite The Guests In

It’s Christmas in the snow, a bright chilly night. A couple is coming over for dinner. They approach the house, walk up the steps and push the bell. We open the door. Colors, lights, candles, the tree, presents and smiling faces explode out to greet our guests as we reach out and pull them into the house to enjoy the warm company of family and friends. That house and everything and everyone inside are the story. It has taken time and effort to decorate, arrange, place and polish to make sure it is just right. No other story will ever appear like that house does on that night when those guests enter for their first time.

May you have many bright and festive evenings in the company of good friends and good words,

Grandpa Jim